Scottish Executive

Concessionary Travel

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland  to ensure that the transport system meets the needs of business, transport users and the environment by extending public transport concessionary fare schemes, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities; what meetings it has had, or plans to have, with key stakeholders, including bus operators and transport authorities, on this matter, and when such meetings will be concluded.

Nicol Stephen: Work is being taken forward regarding the partnership commitment to extend concessionary travel schemes on public transport. This work includes discussions with key stakeholders which took place recently and shall be followed by the issue of a formal consultation paper towards the end of the year.

Concessionary Travel

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend concessionary travel schemes for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Nicol Stephen: As outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland , the Executive is committed to extending concessionary fares schemes on public transport, including a national free off-peak scheme for older people and people with disabilities, and to assessing improved public transport concessions for people with disabilities.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33922 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 February 2003, how many, and what value of, fines were written off in each sheriff court district in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.

Cathy Jamieson: [ pursuant to her reply, 3 June 2003, page 35; http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/wa-03/wa0603.htm ] :  I undertook in the answer given on 3 June to parliamentary question S2W-85 to write to you once the information requested on sheriff court fines remitted was available. The figures in question have now been compiled and are given in the attached table.

  The system used for writing off fines was changed in 2001-02. As a result, fines due for write-off in 2001-02 were not written off until after the end of the financial year and are therefore included within the figures for 2002-03. There are various reasons why some courts show nil returns. These include some courts having no fines meeting the appropriate criteria; sheriff clerks having the option to leave fines on their books, and some courts putting fines to the sheriff to discharge rather than writing them off.

  Fines Written Off in the Sheriff Courts, 2002-031

  


Sheriff Court 
  

Number of Fines2


Value (£)3




Aberdeen 
  

117 
  

29,579 
  



Airdrie 
  

49 
  

11,100 
  



Alloa 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Arbroath 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Ayr 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Banff 
  

8 
  

4,112 
  



Campbeltown 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Cupar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dingwall 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dornoch 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumbarton 
  

21 
  

3,265 
  



Dumfries 
  

30 
  

3,809 
  



Dundee 
  

28 
  

6,274 
  



Dunfermline 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dunoon 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Duns 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

581 
  

139,558 
  



Elgin 
  

19 
  

4,263 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Forfar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Fort William 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Glasgow 
  

23 
  

103,736 
  



Greenock 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Haddington 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Hamilton 
  

246 
  

64,938 
  



Inverness 
  

32 
  

6,672 
  



Jedburgh 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

30 
  

7,476 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kirkwall 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Lanark 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Lerwick 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Linlithgow 
  

31 
  

6,430 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Oban 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Paisley 
  

43 
  

15,848 
  



Peebles 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Peterhead 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Portree 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Rothesay 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Selkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stonehaven 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stornoway 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stranraer 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Tain 
  

2 
  

636 
  



Wick 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scotland 
  

1,260 
  

408,148 
  



  Notes:

  1. Includes fines which were due for write off in 2001-02.

  2. Excludes non-exchequer fines and compensation orders.

  3. Includes value of fines, compensation orders and non-exchequer fines written off.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-27637 and S1W-30470 by Mr Jim Wallace on 19 September and 4 November 2002 respectively, how many, and what value of, sheriff court fines were outstanding on 31 March 2003, in total and broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: [ pursuant to her reply, 3 June 2003, page 35; http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/wa-03/wa0603.htm ] :  I undertook in the answer given on 3 June to parliamentary question S2W-89 to write to you once the information requested on sheriff court fines outstanding at 31 March 2003 was available. The figures in question have now been compiled and are given in the attached table.

  The figures shown for the total number of fine accounts open include those where fines are due to be paid by instalment or where time has been given to pay. They are not equivalent to the number of fines outstanding as where an accused is fined in respect of more than one charge in a complaint, then those fines (and any compensation orders which may have been additionally imposed) are recorded as one overall fine account.

  The figures for outstanding balances are the total values of imposed fines which have not yet been paid plus any remaining balance on fines which are being paid by instalments. Not all of this will be due to fines in default as a large proportion could be within their valid payment period.

  Sheriff Court Fines as at 31 March 2003

  


Sheriff Court 
  

Number of Open Fine Accounts 
  

Outstanding Balance (£) 
  



Aberdeen 
  

2,020 
  

521,299 
  



Airdrie 
  

1,361 
  

340,921 
  



Alloa 
  

451 
  

189,083 
  



Arbroath 
  

445 
  

101,204 
  



Ayr 
  

1,152 
  

256,498 
  



Banff 
  

145 
  

50,776 
  



Campbeltown 
  

126 
  

30,606 
  



Cupar 
  

229 
  

46,796 
  



Dingwall 
  

202 
  

61,165 
  



Dornoch 
  

76 
  

31,497 
  



Dumbarton 
  

994 
  

222,811 
  



Dumfries 
  

827 
  

235,568 
  



Dundee 
  

1,785 
  

428,355 
  



Dunfermline 
  

1,268 
  

300,120 
  



Dunoon 
  

224 
  

49,592 
  



Duns 
  

158 
  

58,636 
  



Edinburgh 
  

4,957 
  

2,615,488 
  



Elgin 
  

629 
  

243,445 
  



Falkirk 
  

1,692 
  

523,931 
  



Forfar 
  

298 
  

74,163 
  



Fort William 
  

144 
  

51,570 
  



Glasgow 
  

5,966 
  

1,682,540 
  



Greenock 
  

976 
  

240,662 
  



Haddington 
  

423 
  

115,537 
  



Hamilton 
  

2,839 
  

704,370 
  



Inverness 
  

810 
  

205,158 
  



Jedburgh 
  

423 
  

97,723 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

1,801 
  

510,198 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

1,423 
  

338,723 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

229 
  

83,353 
  



Kirkwall 
  

110 
  

36,834 
  



Lanark 
  

376 
  

90,418 
  



Lerwick 
  

157 
  

35,426 
  



Linlithgow 
  

1,555 
  

384,131 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

18 
  

7,215 
  



Oban 
  

136 
  

43,851 
  



Paisley 
  

1,900 
  

628,463 
  



Peebles 
  

96 
  

29,736 
  



Perth 
  

898 
  

319,689 
  



Peterhead 
  

451 
  

124,981 
  



Portree 
  

38 
  

10,274 
  



Rothesay 
  

60 
  

11,574 
  



Selkirk 
  

337 
  

112,506 
  



Stirling 
  

745 
  

187,519 
  



Stonehaven 
  

169 
  

38,127 
  



Stornoway 
  

140 
  

43,425 
  



Stranraer 
  

456 
  

230,103 
  



Tain 
  

282 
  

80,793 
  



Wick 
  

197 
  

77,517 
  



Scotland 
  

42,194 
  

12,904,368

Drugs Courts

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the performance of the drugs courts have been since their establishment; what evidence it has to support such conclusions; what plans it has to extend these courts to other areas, in particular the Grampian area, and what the timetable is for any such extension.

Hugh Henry: The formative and process evaluations of the first six months of the pilot drugs courts in Glasgow (11 November 2002 ) and Fife (6 August 2003) concluded that it was still too early to determine the impact the pilots have had on drug misuse and associated offending but a number of positive results were reported.

  Decisions on the future of drugs courts in Grampian or elsewhere in Scotland will be informed by the results of the independent evaluation.

European Funding

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support establishment of a special EU designation for regions that are characterised by being mountainous, peripheral and sparsely populated and, if so, what steps it will take to campaign for such a designation.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive supports reform of the Structural Funds post-2006 to ensure they are targeted where they are most needed following enlargement of the European Union. While mountains, peripherality and sparse population are not in themselves justification for funding, recognition of the challenges faced by such communities will be important for future EU regional policy. The debate on reform still has some way to go and we remain fully engaged both at UK and Europe level to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account.

Maritime Issues

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are involved in maritime issues, broken down by department, division, branch and remit.

Nicol Stephen: Transport Division 4, which is part of Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department, has primary responsibility for maritime issues within the Scottish Executive. The division currently has 21 staff. It is supported by a range of staff in professional and central units across the Executive who do not work full time on maritime issues. Information on the division's structure and its remit is set out in the Scottish Executive Business Directory, which is available to members.

Nursing

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have been employed by the NHS in each year since 1999-2000 and, of these, how many were (a) agency and (b) bank nurses.

Malcolm Chisholm: The total number of nurses in post in NHS Scotland each year is shown in the table:

  


Figures at 30 September Each Year 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003* 
  



All Nurses (WTE) 
  

51,353.0 
  

51,273.2 
  

52,203.5 
  

53,160.1 
  

54,217.2 
  



All Nurses (Headcount) 
  

61,598 
  

61,532 
  

62,338 
  

63,309 
  

64,431 
  



Qualified (WTE) 
  

35,493.9 
  

35,665.8 
  

36,369.3 
  

37,215.6 
  

38,144.4 
  



Qualified (Headcount) 
  

41,654 
  

41,900 
  

42,543 
  

43,467 
  

44,476 
  



Unqualified (WTE) 
  

15,756.4 
  

15,543.5 
  

15,778.2 
  

15,900.6 
  

16,029.2 
  



Unqualified (Headcount) 
  

19,839 
  

19,566 
  

19,739 
  

19,798 
  

19,911 
  



  *Latest ISD Figures taken at March 2003.

  (a) The figures above do not include agency nurses who are not employed directly by NHS Scotland. The usage of agency nurses, however, is as follows for the previous three financial years:

  


Agency Staff 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03* 
  



Qualified Agency 
  

412.6 
  

328.6 
  

438.7 
  

440.4 
  



Unqualified Agency 
  

149.5 
  

254.7 
  

379.6 
  

291.8 
  



  *Latest ISD Figures taken at March 2003.

  (b) The number of staff recorded as holding a bank contract are as follows for the previous three financial years:

  


Bank Nurse Staff 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  



Total on Payroll (Headcount) 
  

13,411 
  

14,437 
  

18,349 
  



Qualified 
  

7,241 
  

7,778 
  

9,685 
  



  These figures include bank nurses that hold a bank contract exclusively as well as those that hold a simultaneous substantive contract.

Renewable Energy

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the process is for local community involvement in wind farm planning applications that are considered by it and not the local authority.

Lewis Macdonald: An application to the Scottish ministers for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct a wind farm entails a wide ranging consultation process involving a large number of statutory bodies as well as other organisations and members of the public. It is entirely a matter for the local communities, both collectively and individually, how they engage in this process.

Road Accidents

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on which road locations in Aberdeenshire fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: The Central Statistical Database contains information on the road class and number (if any), the grid reference of the locations of road accidents, local authority area and police force area.

  Figures for the numbers of accidents on individual roads can only be produced from the central statistical database in cases where the roads are of class M, A(M), A or B, and in cases where figures are sought for particular stretches (rather than their full lengths within Scotland), the start and end points are specified.

  The following table gives the number of fatal and serious road accidents by road class and number in Aberdeenshire in each of the years since 1999.

  It should be noted that the statistics given in the table are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at a local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

  Fatal and Serious Accidents in Aberdeenshire, 1999 to 2002

  





1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  



A90 
  

24 
  

22 
  

27 
  

19 
  



A92 
  

0 
  

4 
  

3 
  

4 
  



A920 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  

5 
  



A93 
  

5 
  

8 
  

10 
  

8 
  



A937 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



A939 
  

3 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



A943 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



A944 
  

7 
  

7 
  

2 
  

5 
  



A947 
  

7 
  

7 
  

10 
  

8 
  



A948 
  

2 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  



A95 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  



A950 
  

3 
  

1 
  

3 
  

2 
  



A952 
  

8 
  

4 
  

3 
  

4 
  



A957 
  

5 
  

1 
  

3 
  

0 
  



A96 
  

10 
  

12 
  

6 
  

3 
  



A97 
  

4 
  

4 
  

3 
  

4 
  



A975 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  



A977 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



A98 
  

8 
  

8 
  

6 
  

6 
  



A980 
  

1 
  

2 
  

3 
  

0 
  



A981 
  

1 
  

2 
  

1 
  

0 
  



A982 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9000 
  

1 
  

0 
  

2 
  

0 
  



B9001 
  

5 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  



B9002 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B9005 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9006 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B9022 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B9023 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9025 
  

0 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  



B9029 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B9030 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B9031 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  



B9032 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  



B9033 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



B9077 
  

4 
  

3 
  

3 
  

1 
  



B9107 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9108 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  



B9119 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

2 
  



B9124 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  



B9125 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9139 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B9170 
  

2 
  

4 
  

3 
  

6 
  



B947 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B966 
  

2 
  

1 
  

0 
  

2 
  



B972 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  



B973 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B974 
  

4 
  

2 
  

5 
  

0 
  



B976 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



B977 
  

4 
  

7 
  

1 
  

3 
  



B9777 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B979 
  

2 
  

5 
  

4 
  

1 
  



B992 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



B993 
  

0 
  

3 
  

1 
  

2 
  



B994 
  

1 
  

3 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B997 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



B999 
  

3 
  

4 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Unclassified 
  

26 
  

32 
  

29 
  

36 
  



Total 
  

160 
  

166 
  

149 
  

141

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding ground maintenance on the trunk road network in the Highland Council area under the trunk road maintenance contract and what action it has taken, or will take, in response to any such representations.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has received a number of representations from MSPs, councillors and members of the public about grass cutting and ground maintenance in the Highland Council area. Where concerns are drawn to the attention of the Executive, they are investigated and appropriate action taken.

Roads

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to regulate work undertaken by utility companies on trunk and non-trunk roads and what the likely timescale is for the implementation of any such plans.

Nicol Stephen: Work undertaken by utility companies on all roads in Scotland is currently regulated under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

  The Scottish Executive is currently reviewing how the provisions of this act can be strengthened and improved. At the moment, this includes revisions to the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Roads Code of Practice and the Code of Practice for Inspections and associated Regulations. This work is being undertaken with the Roads Authorities and Utilities Committee (Scotland) (RAUC(S)) on which both roads authorities and utility companies are represented.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the fully-developed proposals and draft road orders for the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Nicol Stephen: We intend to publish draft orders for the route in three phases. The first phase, Mollinsburn to Low Wood, is planned to be published later this year. Phase 2 Auchenkilns to Haggs and phase 3 Moodiesburn Bypass are planned for publication in 2004.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the budget for the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80 will deal specifically with any groundworks difficulties, or old mine workings, on the proposed route.

Nicol Stephen: It is too early in the design process to estimate. This will only be known after the ground investigation is completed.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic dwellings will have to be demolished as a result of the on-line upgrade of the A80.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-786 on 14 July 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the environmental impact statement on the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1717 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

  Environmental statements will be published at the same time as the draft road and compulsory purchase orders.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a comparator, based on any real or hypothetical alternative route, in its environmental impact statement relating to the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.

Nicol Stephen: Comparisons of the environmental impact of alternative route options were made at an earlier stage to inform the decision on the preferred route. The environmental statements will detail the impact of the preferred on-line route and summarise those other options considered.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many towns are currently bisected by a motorway, or have proposals for such a scheme at any stage of development.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30963 on 13 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Traffic Management Bill

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the proposed traffic management bill.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that it will not consider adopting the powers currently being considered for adoption by the Department for Transport as part of a proposed traffic management bill until a full assessment of any impact that the bill would have on the telecommunications industry and the roll-out of broadband has been undertaken.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is monitoring the on-going work to develop proposals for a traffic management bill.